Myth #1
“You can’t develop Perfect Pitch; you have to be born with it.”
“This myth had become widespread because Perfect Pitch is mysterious to most people. Musicians found they were unable to develop Perfect Pitch because they didn’t understand it.
“No one is born with a perfectly developed ear. At birth, who can name tones or chords by ear? At birth, who can sing a C# without a starting pitch? And at birth, how would you tell if a song were playing in B major rather than A major?
“All these Perfect Pitch skills are learned—and they are learned effortlessly.
“Learning pitches is like learning colors. When you were young, your mother probably played the ‘color game’ with you many times. She would say red while pointing to a red object. Then you said red back to her. Later she would ask, ‘What color is this?’ Perhaps at first you confused red and orange, but soon you learned to recognize the differences between all colors.
“Just as your eye can recognize colors of light, your ear can learn to recognize colors of pitch.
“Every musical tone has its own uniq2ue pitch color. The difference between visual colors and pitch colors is this: Visual colors are a visual quality, whereas pitch colors are heard as a sound quality.
“That may sound difficult, but it’s not. In practice, it’s really so simple a child can do it (and children do it)! Unfortunately, most of us did not learn our pitch colors the way we learned our visual colors many years ago. In fact, you may find today that you cannot distinguish any difference between an F and an F#--except, of course, that one pitch is higher and the other lower. Aside from ‘high’ and ‘low’ all pitches sound pretty much alike to most people.
“But regardless of what instrument is playing—whether piano, guitar, saxophone, flute, voice, etc.—there is always a subtle difference in sound between F and an F# which your ear CAN hear. You just have to know what to listen for. Most importantly, with just a few simple instructions you can begin to hear and recognize these differences immediately.
“Once you can hear these pitch colors, you automatically know the tones and chords you hear, just like you know the colors you see. You can even envision any desired tone in your mind, and then sing it inprop0er pitch. All these skills are gained with Perfect Pitch, the master key to the entire musical language.
“Why is Perfect Pitch the master key to the entire musical language? Because music is composed of pitches. Your music depends on your personal ability to hear, evaluate, and enjoy pitches.
“A few rare individual pick up Perfect Pitch skills all by themselves at a young age. They become known as ‘musically gifted’, and in a certain sense they are, because they have stumbled onto a priceless talent without outside assistance. But with the correct instructions, you could surpass even these individuals, regardless of what age you begin to open your ear.
“Remember: No one is born with fully developed Perfect Pitch. And Perfect Pitch can be learned at any time. It’s just simple listening; you don’t need any previous or special musical training.
This technique for gaining Perfect Pitch is so easy—and it’s already been verified by research at Ohio State University and by the experiences of thousands of musicians all over the world. You don’t have to think, you just have to listen, because Perfect Pitch is just a natural musical perception.
“The talent for Perfect Pitch is already there, in your ear. It’s totally up to you when you want to claim it.”
(Note: Although some musicians may be visually color blind, no musician can be tone dear. Every musician has the capacity for Perfect Pitch. Mr. Burge discusses the myth of tone deafness in a later article.)
Let’s correct the myth: You were born with the natural ability for Perfect Pitch. You just have to discover it for yourself.
Myth #2
“You don’t need Perfect Pitch; all you need is good Relative Pitch.”
“What you need is a great ear. To get it, we must consider both Perfect Pitch and Relative Pitch. Each is a specific skill which draws out and actualizes your own natural talents.
“Let’s compare the two:
“Relative Pitch deals with pitch relationships. When tones are played together, they can create distinct patterns of sound: a major chord, a minor chord, an augmented chord, or more complex sounds like a dominant thirteenth sharp five chord.
“Relative Pitch is the ability to recognize these sound patterns by ear.
“Perfect Pitch, on the other hand, tells you the EXACT PITCHES you are hearing.
“Suppose I play this chord: (d, f#, a, c)
“By ear, Relative Pitch can tell you it is a dominant seventh chord.
With Perfect Pitch, you’d hear that it’s a D dominant seventh chord.
“Let’s run that by again:
“The overall sound of the chord has a dominant seventh quality. Your Relative Pitch can tell you this.
“But which dominant seventh chord is it? G seven, F# seven, E seven? This is where your Perfect Pitch comes in.
“Perfect Pitch tells you the exact pitches you are hearing—D, F#, A, C.
“Of these four tones, your Perfect Pitch automatically locates ‘D’ as the ROOT of the chord, which tells you it’s D dominant seventh [D7].
“You now have a complete picture of the music you’re listening to—all by ear alone.
“See how Perfect Pitch and Relative Pitch work together?
“Without Perfect Pitch, you’d only know the kind of chord, not the actual tones.
“Without Perfect Pitch or Relative Pitch—well, you’d be listening in the dark. And you’d be missing a ton of tonal information about the music you’re hearing. Time for a complete ear tune-up!
“Tuning your ear is simple. It only takes about 15-20 minutes each day. And you can start easily from wherever you are right now. All you have to do is listen — no music reading is required.
“You know that music is a hearing art. So the more you can hear, the more all your skills will multiply. A tuned ear gives you an edge which cannot be matched by any other talent.
“Remember: Perfect Pitch and Relative Pitch are the two fundamentals of musical perception. Both are absolutely essential if you want the complete musical picture—with maximum success and enjoyment from your music.”
Let’s correct the myth: Perfect Pitch and Relative Pitch are the two fundamentals of musical perception. To tap your full creative potential, you need both.
Myth #3
“There’s no cure for tone deafness.”
“Actually, true tone deafness is extremely rare.
“Someone might get labeled as ‘tone deaf’ if their singing resembles the call of a wild moose. But that’s not an accurate test. They may only need some ear-training and/or vocal lessons.
“You can tell that someone is not tone deaf by the way they speak. If their voice has normal inflections (high and low pitches when talking), then they are hearing pitches correctly. A monotone speaker without pitch sensitivity would be hard to find.
“Although tone deafness is largely a myth, there are varying degrees of pitch perception, even among musicians.
“Suppose I play you an F#. If you can recognize it as F#, you would be just the opposite of tone deaf. You would have Perfect Pitch.
“On the other hand, if you can’t distinguish F# from A, then your ear is not yet open to the complete range of pitch perception. This could be classified as a mild degree of tone deafness. (Don’t worry, it’s simple to correct!)
“Look at it this way: Music without Perfect Pitch is like hearing in black and white:
**black & white image here**
With a ‘black and white’ ear, something’s lost. You’re not sure exactly what you’re hearing.
“But when you develop your Perfect Pitch, the tones sound something like this:
**color image here**
“Now the picture is complete. Every pitch you hear has its own distinct sound color. This means that in addition to the ‘highness’ or ‘lowness’ of a tone, you also hear a difference in coloration between F# and A.
“This makes the music richer, fuller, more alive—like seeing a color TV for the first time. Now your ear can identify F# as easily as your eye can see red in the above example. You can even sing any tone without a starting reference pitch.
“You’ll find that your ‘color ear’ is the master key to all other musical skills. This is because music is a hearing art. When you open your ear, you automatically become fluent with the entire musical language.
“How can you learn to hear these Perfect Pitch colors for yourself?
“It’s easy. You just listen.
“We’ve found that 99% of those who take my Perfect Pitch SuperCourse begin to hear the Perfect Pitch colors immediately—after a few basic instructions! I’ll personally guarantee you’ll be one of them.
“In fact, if you don’t notice a dramatic improvement in your sense of pitch after only three or four weeks, I’ll make sure you get a full refund [see details at right].
“With a guarantee like that, why settle for even a mild degree of tone dearness—when you can have all the benefits of Perfect Pitch?”
Let’s correct the myth: Perfect Pitch eliminates musical hearing deficiencies by opening your ear to the complete musical picture.
Myth #4
“Perfect Pitch makes your ear too perfect.”
“I have a confession. Sometimes those of us with Perfect Pitch can’t resist showing it off. A great way is to complain: “’Youch, the lead guitar was way flat on that high C,’ or ‘The keyboardist hit F instead of F#,’ or “the lead singer is tone deaf.’
“Hearing so sharply impresses the heck out of our friends. But these complaints can give the idea we aren’t enjoying the music; we’re too critical, our ear is too sensitive.
“Maybe you conclude you’re better off without an ear that’s too perfect.
“But don’t let those complaints fool you. They’re just a ploy for a little attention.
“The fact is, it doesn’t even require Perfect Pitch to detect some of these things. If a musician is poorly tuned, everyone knows it, not just the guy with Perfect Pitch.
“And the truth is this:”
Perfect Pitch offers clear advantages to anyone who’s gained it.
“How?
“By unlocking your ability to perceive pitch. Everything in music revolves around your ability to hear pitch.
“You can tell how well someone hears by how well they play. And by how artfully they compose, arrange, sing, and perform.
“A great ear has always been the basis for great musicianship, just as a poor ear is the basis for mediocre skills.
“Consider this: Even with the most highly polished playing technique, what can you achieve with only a blurred idea of your total musical sound?
“That’s the worse case scenario.
“Now consider what you could do with Perfect Pitch: You can recognize any tone or chord by ear; you can sing any tone from memory in proper pitch; you can hear the complete picture which the tones create.
“With this clear perception, you can easily follow chord progressions, hear inner tones, and play what you hear, judge overall balance, and excel in a hundred other skills which are vital to your mastery and appreciation of music.
“With your present playing technique and that kind of ear, how much more could you accomplish?
“Music is pitch. So you can see why Perfect Pitch automatically gives you mastery of the entire musical language.”
Remember:
“Don’t be jealous of Perfect Pitch show-offs (or even non-show-offs).
“Why?
“Because you can do it too!
“Want proof?
“All right. I’ll bet that with a few simple instructions, you’ll immediately begin to hear in Perfect Pitch.
“You hear it straight. Just listen to the first two CDs in the Perfect Pitch SuperCourse, and I’ll bet that you’ll immediately hear the first stages of Perfect Pitch for yourself (I’m confident you will because thousands all over the world have already done so).
“Once you hear how simple it is, I think you’ll be surprised. And when you’re convinced that your own ear has enormous potential, I’ll show you haw easily you can develop your initial experiences into fully established Perfect Pitch. It’s all complete in your Perfect Pitch SuperCourse.
“And if the Course doesn’t work for you right away (a slim chance), I’ll personally make sure you get a full refund [see details at right].
“With nothing to lose and your entire musical experience at stake, I encourage you to give the Course a try.
“Perfect Pitch is the edge you need to make the music you know you’re destined to create.”
To be continued…..
Let’s correct the myth: Perfect Pitch opens your ear to the total musical sound and puts the entire musical language at your command.
Myth #5
“With Perfect Pitch, I’ll never have to practice again!”
“For most musicians, Perfect Pitch means the end to a lot of problems, and the beginning of some very special talents.
“Perfect Pitch, however, does not mean you’ll want to skimp when it comes to practicing your instrument.
“Keep in mind that Perfect Pitch is a hearing skill. It’s a natural perception that allows you to recognize tones and chords solely by ear—much like your ability to see and name colors.
“Perfect Pitch may be the most important tool a musician can possess. A great ear is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for making great music. So once yu get it, you’ll want to use it.
It’s up to you how to use your Perfect Pitch:
“You may want to pick up songs by ear or steal licks. Here’s where you ability to identify tones as you hear them becomes rather handy.
“Maybe a tune you composed is stuck in your head. Perfect Pitch gets it unstuck and out onto your instrument.
“If you play strictly by ear, Perfect Pitch prevents an awful lot of fumbling. And if you read music, you’ll find (like others have) that your sight reading skills really take off.
“An ear with Perfect Pitch has no trouble hearing inner tones and harmonies, and is highly sensitive to dynamics and phrasing. This keep perception helps you bring out the most subtle nuances in your music—the sign of a true artist.
“Vocalists use their Perfect Pitch to ensure their intonation is accurate. And when you never need a starting pitch, the effect is ultra-professional.
“Everyone finds that Perfect Pitch improves their musical memory. The key to better memory is a clear impression of the tones. Perfect Pitch upgrades your ‘black and white’ ear to full color hearing, which makes the tones more distinct, and therefore easier to remember.
“Even if ou forget your place in performance (God forbid), your Perfect Pitch can rescue you with the appropriate tones to play. This special kind of performing confidence comes naturally when you feel at home in a world of tones.”
“Personally,
I use my Perfect Pitch to sculpt chords and sounds the way I want, just like a painter mixes colors into various shapes on a canvas.
“Every tone and chord has a unique sound color. Depending on the feeling I want to evoke, I may choose (for example) an A major chord if I want a bright sound, or an A flat major chord for a softer effect.
“When you can perceive the unique sound color of each pitch, your music appreciation blossoms. It’s something new and incredibly beautiful which you have to hear for yourself (and you can begin to hear it immediately!)”
Remember:
“Whatever you do in music, Perfect Pitch can dramatically increase your skill and cut down the time required to achieve results.
“but practicing your instrument remains as important as ever.
“In fact, with Perfect Pitch, I’ll bet you’ll enjoy your playing many times more!”
Let’s correct the myth: You’ll enjoy practicing even more once you’ve tapped into your own Perfect Pitch skills.
Myth #6
“What good is Perfect Pitch if a recording is sharp or flat?”
“Astute musicians often ask the question:
“Since Perfect Pitch lets you know tones and chords by ear, what happens if a music tape is playing a little fast or slow? Wouldn’t that change the pitches? If so, then what good is having Perfect Pitch?
“Here’s the answer:
Pitches can be sharp or flat
“Each pitch has its own range. The A above Middle C theoretically should vibrate 440 times per second. However, it is stall an A if the tone is a little sharp or flat.
“Look at it in terms of visual color: Red is not just one isolated hue. In fact, every red you see is slightly different. Yet early in life you somehow leaned the range of what red is.
“Now, if you shift the red color a little, it starts to become more orange—but it’s still in the range of red. Only after the red becomes more and more orange does it actually become orange.
“It’s the same with musical tones. Pitches are almost never ‘perfect,’ and there is absolutely no need for them to be. With Perfect Pitch, you can appreciate the complete spectrum of pitch colors and the beauty which is created with them. Not only do you learn what an F# sounds like, you also learn what a sharp F# sounds like—or a flat F#.
Remember:
“There’s no need to become a tuning fanatic, because Perfect Pitch gives you an ear you can use in the real musical world. This means you can recognize and enjoy the complete range of musical pitches, including those that are sharp and flat.
Power Tuning Tip:
For maximum brilliance and power during performance, tune your entire instrument slightly sharp (but always in tune with other instruments).
How sharp should you go? Enough to make it noticeable when you compare your instrument to a tuning fork or tuner, but not too much. You want your E to sound like a hot E, not a way flat F.
I have seen many bands fail to impress an audience because their drive and enthusiasm could not overcome their overall flat tuning. But if you tune on the high side, the audience will notice an extra special energy—without any idea why.
Note: It’s perfectly fine for guitarists to tune down a half or who step. Just make sure to come up a little from that new pitch level.
“The fact that tones can be sharp or flat is a big plus in music. It’s an important element which adds richness and variation. The important thing is to have an ear which can appreciate these subtle qualities.
“Do you think that Bach, Beethoven or Mozart could have achieved so much without their full spectrum Perfect Pitch?
“Well then. How much more could you achieve by tapping into your own Perfect Pitch skills?”
Let’s correct the myth: Perfect Pitch does not mean the pitches you hear must be “perfect.” It means your perception of pitch is perfect.
Correcting the Myths
In 1981, David Lucas Burge caused quite a stir in the academic world when he entered college and started to explain his discoveries. At first, professors laughed at him. “You must be born with Perfect Pitch,” they’d say. “You can’t develop it!”
He’d always listen politely. Then he’d reveal the simple secret—so they could hear it for themselves. You’d be surprised how fast they changed their tune!
Now it's Your Turn
For 30 years now, musicians around the globe have proven the simple methods that David-Lucas Burge stumbled upon as a teenager (plus research at two leading universities—see www.PerfectPitch.com/research).
We invite you to own the classic Perfect Pitch Ear Training SuperCourse, by David Lucas Burge at a fraction of the list price of $169. Your price only $69! |
